SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Akesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCBB:AKES), an emerging diabetes drug-development company, today announced the initiation of the next phase of the preclinical safety program for AKP-020. While an analysis of the one-month preclinical safety studies is ongoing, the company has initiated a three-month preclinical safety program in order to support further clinical evaluation of its product. Combined with the thorough analysis of the recent Phase IIa study of AKP-020 in diabetic subjects, the company anticipates a delay in the next phase of clinical studies where the next human study would not begin until the second half of 2009, following appropriate regulatory feedback.